Press Release
May 20, 2011

ANGARA URGES GOV'T TO INVEST IN S&T
TO REACH COMPETITIVENESS GOALS

Senator Edgardo J. Angara called on the government to invest heavily in science and technology in order to improve the competitiveness of the Philippines in the global market.

Angara noted that the National Competitiveness Council (NCC) co-chairman Guillermo Luz recently announced that the goal has been set for the country to boost its global ranking in the next five years.

Angara, chair of the Congressional Commission on Science Technology and Engineering (COMSTE), said that when the commission began its work, it was tasked to assess how the Philippines could become more competitive by utilizing research and development in science and technology.

"Absent of an improvement in the way we innovate as a country, the competitive position of the Philippines in Research & Development can worsen with the recent slowdown in the world economy." said Angara.

He added, "COMSTE's initiatives provide an opportunity to integrate a new strategic S&T agenda into the nation's competitiveness plan. Projects like the Renewable Energy R&D Institute (RERDI), the Industrial R&D Institute (IRDI), the Philippine Disaster Science Center (DSMC), and Telehealth program are primed to steer the nation in a new direction."

Angara said, "the projects identified by COMSTE are doable and fundable through the use of strategic alliances. We can leverage foreign investments to finance these and other projects of existing domestic companies as well as start-up companies."

According to the Global Competitiveness Index, this year the Philippine ranking moved up two spots to 85th place, up from the 2009-2010 ranking of the Philippines 87th out of 133 countries.

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